Dirk Wens

Recent Posts

• World’s leading brands and retailers join forces to tackle plastic waste challenge through packaging and policy commitments
• Java’s protective mangroves smothered by plastic waste
• Plastics industry emphasizes solutions to eliminate plastic waste and drive the circular economy forward
• Braskem invests R$67 million in recycling line with German technology
• Plant-based and recyclable plastic bottles now enabled with VTT’s new FDCA technology using citrus peel as raw material
• Keurig Dr Pepper achieves longstanding sustainability commitment to make 100% of its K-Cup Pods recyclable
• The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo and Nestlé named top plastic polluters for the third year in a row
• Estimated 1.56 billion face masks will have entered oceans in 2020
• New supply of PCR for flexible packaging coming soon
• Researchers turn to AI-guided robots, chemical recycling to address plastic pollution crisis
• A check-up for the oceans reveals threats to human health
• UK Plastics Pact cuts unnecessary plastic by 40% and increases plastic recycling by 107,000 tons
• New method to label and track nano-particles could improve our understanding of plastic pollution
• Polymer researcher’s latest development results in novel cup that withstands boiling water
• Total, Intraplás and Yoplait successfully demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating recycled polystyrene from chemical recycling into yogurt pots
• Shipping industry unites in support of game-changing Eyesea plan to map global oceanic pollution for the first time
• LyondellBasell and SUEZ increase plastics recycling capacity
• H&M’s Conscious Exclusive A/W20 collection explores the beauty of waste
• MycoWorks raises US$45 million in Series B Financing
• Kephi paves the path toward a more sustainable fashion future
• European Commission reveals the winners of the 2020 European Social Innovation Competition
• Genomatica to scale bio-nylon fifty-fold with Aquafil to meet surging brand demand
• Following a t-shirt from cotton field to landfill shows the true cost of fast fashion
• DSM and Neste announce strategic partnership to create high-performance materials made from sustainable feed-stock
• Material Exchange, Swedish fashion tech raising €5M to drive sustainability in the fashion industry
• UBQ Materials collaborates with Motherson to turn nappies into car parts
• H&M selects Eastman Naia Renew cellulosic fiber
• This is how the fashion industry can reduce its carbon emissions
• LG and Net-a-Porter launch sustainable clothing collection
• The Fashion Awards 2020 trophy designed by Parley for the Oceans
• COLOURFORM and Maison Ruinart box clever for the champagne market
• From PET bottles to cartons – a step in the right direction for Levmilk
• Science meets design: strong and flexible composite materials made from lignin
• Pioneering digital watermarks for smart packaging recycling in the European Union: cross-value chain initiative to drive circular economy goals launched
• LyondellBasell successfully starts up new pilot molecular recycling facility
• Loop Industries and SUEZ form partnership to build Europe’s first infinite Loop facility
• Lenzing creates unprecedented level of traceability
• Metsä Board launches a state-of-the-art Excellence Centre to accelerate paperboard and packaging innovation
• Starbucks announces rollout of new strawless lids throughout USA and Canada
• Trinseo and Fernholz commercialize recycled polystyrene (r-PS) for food packaging
• H&M’S Fall Fashion 2020 collection showcases the beauty of recycled materials
• AMI predicts a positive future for global chemical recycling sector
• Aldi refills to clean up 550 tons of plastic in supermarket first
• Danimer Scientific and WinCup named winners of the 2020 Innovation in Bioplastics Award
• Nestlé intensifies its sustainable packaging transformation journey
• Braskem advances in research into chemical recycling of plastics
• SUPEREARTH Superstar: championing responsible design with Sean Wotherspoon
• Coca-Cola European Partners funds dispensed delivery innovation with investment in self-pour, self-pay drink dispense technology leaders Innovative Tap Solutions
• Turning the plastic tide: new HEAL report puts the spotlight on how chemicals in plastic are putting our health at risk
• Gap Inc and Textile Exchange to publish sustainable fibers toolkit for apparel industry
• Swatch is getting BIORELOADED!
• The business case for tackling water pollution in apparel value chains
• McDonald’s announces industry-first partnership with zero-waste platform Loop to pilot reusable packaging
• Live and on-demand: Plastic Free World goes online for one-off 2020 Virtual Summit
• Coronavirus to set back plastic waste and pollution reduction efforts 1-3 years – analyst
• The REMADE Institute announces up to US$35 million in funding for technology solutions to accelerate the transition to the circular economy
• Hi-Cone Worldwide partners with Avangard Innovative to stem plastic waste
• Research reveals microplastic content levels in seafood
• New barrier solution from AR Packaging helps Bel Group to eliminate plastics
• McLaren collaborates with Bcomp to develop F1’s first natural fiber composite racing seat
• Coca-Cola European Partners delivers a ‘first’ in Europe through the introduction of CanCollar technology
• Forest scientists develop innovative wood-based materials for 3D printing
• Brazilian team takes first place in 2020 Invent For The Planet competition
• UK plastics reprocessing capacity needs to double by 2022
• A new kind of plastic that is able to maintain its original qualities when recycled
• ePac Flexible Packaging and RePurpose Technologies create disruptive solution for plastics recycling
• 4ocean recovers 10 millionth pound of trash from the ocean
• New study estimates there is at least 10 times more plastic in the Atlantic than previously thought
• Heineken UK eliminates plastic from millions of cans as it rolls out innovative sustainable packaging across thousands of UK retailers, despite COVID-19 challenges
• DS Smith launches ‘Circular Design Principles’ to eliminate waste and drive sustainability in packaging
• Micro- and nanoplastics detectable in human tissues
• Morrisons plans to scrap reusable bags for life and return to paper
• Pandemic causes concern over plastic pollution
• Green fashion: Clerici Tessuto collaborates with Parley for the Oceans
• Tackle flexible plastic packaging now or risk missing UK Plastics Pact targets, urges WRAP
• Stopping the spread together: Borealis and paper republic unite in sustainable face mask initiative
• Pressure on e-commerce to reduce plastics use
• Flow Cosmetics chooses sustainable Metsä Board paperboards for its range of natural products
• Germany bans range of single-use plastics including straws and cotton buds
• Upcycling of post-consumer PLA waste: a gateway to ‘circular bio-economy’
• Aldi to remove more than 2 billion pieces of plastic
• WNDR Alpine launches backcountry ski with biomanufactured performance material
• Johnnie Walker’s parent firm Diageo doubles down on sustainability with paper-based bottle
• New insights into consumer attitudes toward responsible packaging
• MSYG introduces polyester yarns that biodegrade through CiCLO technology
• The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (the Alliance) and the USAID collaborate to tackle ocean plastic pollution
• Joined-up thinking delivers renewable raw materials for plastics production
• ReNew ELP steps up to the bench in the House of Commons
• Greenhouse gas emissions halved, predicts life cycle assessment of recycled polystyrene from INEOS Styrolution
• Metsä Board and Esbottle celebrate ecological paperboard flute cup concept
• Biodegradable bio-based biocomposite – complex or not?
• Huhtamaki Fresh awarded ‘Bio-based Material of the Year’ while its ‘Huhta Masks’ are on their way to the UK
• Sustainable cellulose nanomaterials for vehicles and food packaging
• Elopak launches Pure-Pak ‘Imagine’ sustainable carton
• Australia’s CSIRO wields data and AI as sword and shield to protect the planet
• The many lifetimes of plastics
• Swedish firm receives funding boost to develop lignin-to-plastic technology
• WWF and Google partner on fashion sustainability platform
• Changing our washing habits could reduce microplastic pollution
• Diageo North America launches 100% recycled plastic bottle
• What COVID-19 has taught us about plastic in the environment
• Masks and gloves ‘floating’ like jellyfish: the effects of COVID-19 waste in the ocean
• Tool developed to calculate our household ‘plastics footprint’
• Tons of microplastics are raining down on US national parks
• IIT Madras researchers use agri waste, plastic to make biofuel
• Asda removes over 24.5 million plastic forks from salads in a bid to tackle plastic pollution
• James Cropper’s papers with antimicrobial technology effective against feline coronavirus
• Green Science Alliance develops innovation made of cellulose-based biodegradable resin
• Microplastics found in Antarctic Sea ice samples for first time, suggest scientists
• BASF and Security Matters collaborate to accelerate progress towards a circular economy for plastics
• INEOS and Plastic Energy join forces on new advanced plastic recycling facility
• The Story of Plastic is an eye-opener on the global plastic pollution crisis
• Why plastic waste is a C-suite issue
• Faster-degrading plastic could promise cleaner seas
• P&G introduces paper tubes for ‘Secret’ and ‘Old Spice’ as CPG makers turn away from plastic
• Plastic-like packaging material made from completely renewable raw materials by VTT
• New solution to capture microplastics before they enter waterways
• Cement factories can put the brakes on global plastic pollution
• Indonesia unveils plan to prevent 16 million tons of plastic entering ocean
• Scientist discovers biodegradable plastic alternative: could cactus juice be the new plastic?
• Bioplastics innovations lagging behind public sentiment for sustainable plastics alternatives, according to new patents report from Clarivate
• Mattel advances product sustainability commitment with launch of latest sugarcane-based products in the USA
• Engineered microbes can produce biodegradable plastics at lower cost and environmental impact than plant-based plastics
• ReCircled seeks to create a sustainable fashion loop
• First successful study to detect marine plastic pollution using satellites
• Microplastics found in Antarctic Sea ice samples for first time, suggest scientists
• Burberry launches ‘ReBurberry Edit’ made from innovative materials
• New research on the possible effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on marine animals
• The bags are back: Coronavirus health concerns and cheap oil fuel plastic comeback
• Ball Aluminum Cup recognized in Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards
• Andaltec to develop sustainable packaging from agricultural waste
• Expanded Plastic Free World Conference exhibit area sells out five months early
• Lavergne and Clariant develop halogen-free flame-retardant compounds for electronics based on recycled ocean-bound plastics
• McDonald’s commits to remove plastic cutlery Australia-wide
• When going around in circles, is the way forward? Changing the conversation around ‘waste’
• Japanese company turning the tables on plastic waste
• Just Eat and Notpla develop world’s first seaweed-lined box for takeaway sector
• Beyond recycling: sportswear collection by Puma and First Mile empowers communities in need